Whatever Blog – GuideLive

Cat token will join the Monopoly family; iron gets the boot

Hasbro announced this morning that, following a month of voting, fans from around the world chose to replace the classic iron token with the newly created cat.

The newest Monopoly token. (Steven Senne / AP)

Conceived in 1935, the iron survived a World War II metal shortage from 1943 to 1945, during which tokens were made of wood, as well as a similar redesign in the 1960s that saw three older tokens replaced. In 2013, however, it received only 8 percent of the popular vote, falling shortly behind the wheelbarrow and shoe. The Scottie dog raced out of the gate as an early favorite, securing its top spot with 20 percent of the overall vote.

As for the new addition, internet voters were (seemingly) able to tear themselves away from looking at photos of cats online in order to push the new cat token over the top with a secure 31 percent. Fans wishing to own a game with the discontinued piece may still do so through mid-to-late 2013, when new games will hit the shelves.